It's been said that variety is the spice of life. And this issue of American Lifestyle magazine celebrates life's enriching options with an interactive food competition, a pair of healthy recipes to try, maintenance tips for every season, and the amazing culinary creations of a cookie-decorating artist.

With the big game and various awards shows this month, parties are sure to be plentiful. But what should you make for these events? The choices seem endless. Get some great ideas for party finger foods and let your voice be heard during a monthlong food face-off, found exclusively in this digital edition. Come back each week to vote for your favorite recipes, and follow along to see which recipe is crowned the champion!

You can also get a taste of warmer weather with your choice of fresh dishes—spring onion pizzas and spring polenta with radishes and garlic scapes—courtesy of Jeanine Donofrio and The Love & Lemons Cookbook. Either recipe will make you look forward to the change of season.

Speaking of the seasons, proper home maintenance is crucial for each one—and an easy way to make sure that your home is in tip-top shape is to have a year-round plan. Use the various winter weather maintenance tips provided inside to get options for protecting your home during these colder months, and then follow the advice in the spring to-do list once the weather gets warmer.

Finally, Amber Spiegel left a sweet job at a leading cake decorator, choosing instead to branch out and start her own online cookie-decorating business, SweetAmbs—and her phenomenal success shows that she's one smart cookie. Today, Amber creates masterpieces one cookie at a time, and she shares her food artistry and techniques with millions of followers around the world in person and on her website. Read about Amber's journey, and watch as she explains her vision for her business and demonstrates how she makes her finely detailed work in a pair of special ALTV videos.

Life is all about the choices you make, which can help shape you in big ways and in small—and open up a world of possibilities. As always, it's a pleasure to send you this magazine.